Folding bed.



Patented Oct. 28, I902.

G. C. TAYLOR.

FOLDING BED. (Application med June 8, 1900.

2 Sheets-Sheet (No Model.)

THE norms PETERS c0 PHDTOUTHO WASHINGTON, u. c.

No. 712,0. Pat ented Oct. 28, I902.

c. c. TAYLOR.

FOLDING BED.

(Application filed. June 8, 1900.)

2 Sheats-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

Mu A umlmmlllllllllllllll THE NQRmS PETERS no, PHDTO-LYTHO.,WASH1NGTGN, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

CALVIN C. TAYLOR, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO THE SOARRITT- OOMSTOOK FURNITURE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPO- RATION OF MISSOURI.

FOLDING BED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 712,017, dated October 28, 1902.

Application filed J nne 8, 1900.

To all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, CALVIN C. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Beds, of which the following is a specification. A

The present invention relates more especially to folding beds of the sofa type, and has for its object to provide asimple, durable, and convenientconstruction of a bed which in a folded condition will have all the appearances of the well-known Davenport sofa and which when unfolded will without any change in the ends and back of the sofa constitute a bed of the proper width and length.

The present improved construction also involves a simple and effective bracing of the end and longitudinal rails of the bed sections or frames to afiord a soft center to the bed, rigid and substantial points of attachment for the respective ends of the woven wire or other fabric that constitutes the bed-bottom, and prevent a sagging tendency of the middle portion of such bed-bottom in use, all as will hereinafter more'fully appear, and be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrative of the present invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the present improved bed opened out or unfolded to constitute a bed; Fig. 2, a transverse sectional elevation of the bed in a like opened-out or unfolded condition; Fig. 3, a similar view showing the parts in a folded or closed condition to constitute r a Davenport sofa. Fig. 4 is a detail front elevation of the two bed frames or sections folded together as in Fig. 3 and detached from the ends, back, and bottom of the sofa shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, parts being broken away to better illustrate the bracing between the longitudinal and end bars of such frames. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary end elevation illustrating the hinge connection between the two bed frames or sections of the present invention.

Similar numerals of reference indicate like parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 represent pairs of substantially counterpart inner Serial No. 19,615. (No model.)

at the side of the same to afford a wide bedsurface.

3 and 4 are the vertical back wall and counterpart bed-Walls, secured together in the form of the well-known Davenport sofa to constitute the inclosing housing for the inner bed frames or sections above described and adapted to form a receiving-chamber for the folded bed section or frame 2 to conceal the ends and rear sidev of the same from observation in a closed condition of the present folding bed. 5 is the flexible supporting Web or top of the bed, formed, preferably, of woven wire, which flexible top is common to both the inner bed frames or' sections 1 and 2 and is secured to the respective end boards or rails of suchsections in any usual manner, but preferably in the manner hereinafter described.

6 6 are series of spiral supporting-springs arranged beneath the flexible top 5 ofthe bed and adapted to resist a tendency to sagging of the middle portion of such flexible top 5 in actual use.

7 7 are longitudinal bars or rails forming the adjacent sides of, the respective inner bed frames or sections 1 and 2.

8 8 are the end boards or transverse rails of the respective inner bed sections or frames 1 and 2.

9 9 are counterpart diagonal braces extending from points near the upper edges of the end boards 8 to the middle portions of the respective inner bed frames or sections land 2 and adapted to brace the same against the excessive strain to which such end boards are exposed and which is due tothe attachment thereto of the flexible supporting-web 5 of the bed.

l0 10 are horizontal thrust members or portions arranged upon the bottom boards of the bed-sections l and 2 and immediately to the rear of the longitudinal rails 7 and adapted to separate and receive the thrust of the diagonal braces 9, as illustrated in Fig. 4:.

11 11 are transverse cleats secured to the end boards or rails 8 and adapted to engage and hold the flexible top 5 of the bed in place in a stretched condition. In the presentimproved construction such transverse cleats 11 are additionally held in place by the engagement of the diagonal braces 9 against the same at the sides of the bed-frames at which the said braces and the longitudinal rails 8 are arranged, as illustrated more particularly in Fig. 4.

With the described arrangement of the longitudinal rails 7, end rails 8, and diagonal braces 9 and with the present bed in an open or unfolded condition the described longitudinal rails and diagonal braces are in a plane a distance below the flexible bed surface or top 5 and impart a soft center to the bed and at the same time afiord a very strong and effective bracing of the parts against the strains to which they are exposed in actual use.

12 is a flexible finish or facing secured to the front of the bed-sections 1 and 2 for the purpose of affording a finished appearance to the same when folded.

In the present improvement the bed-sec tions 1 and 2 are hinged together in such a manner that when opened out for use as a bed a longitudinal space will be left between them to admit of an easy fold of the flexible finish or facing 12 at the front of the bed-sections 1 and 2 in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In the present improvement the mattress 13 for the bed is formed of two longitudinal sections permanently joined together and adapted when opened out to constitute the mattress of the bed, as illustrated in Fig. 2, and when folded together upon each other, as illustrated in Fig. 3, to constitute the seat or cushion of the sofa and afford the desired finished appearance to the same when used as a sofa instead of a bed.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and 'desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a folding bed and sofa of the character herein described, the combination of a pair of bed-sections hinged together along the length ofthe bed, a bed surface or fabric common to both members and attached to the end pieces,an inclosing housing for such bed members consisting of a vertical back and counterpart vertical end walls secured together, lon gitudinal rails forming the adjacent sides of the bed-sections and arranged a distance away from and below the flexible bed surface or fabric, and counterpart diagonal braces arranged immediately to the rear of said rails and extending from intermediate portions of the bottom boards to the upper portions of the end pieces of said members to thereby securely brace the said end pieces against the pull of the bottom fabric and leave an unob structed space for the yield of the fabric downward, substantially as set forth.

2. In a folding bed and sofa of the character herein described, the combination of a pair of bed-sections hinged together along the length of the bed, a bed surface or fabric common to both members and attached to the end pieces,an inclosing housing for such bed members consisting of vertical back and counterpart end walls secured together, longitudinal rails forming the adjacent sides of the bed-sections and arranged a distance away from and below the flexible bed surface or fabric, central abutment members secured to the bottom boards of the bed-sections, and counterpart diagonal braces extending from said abutments to the upper portions of the end pieces of said bed members to thereby brace the upper portions of the end pieces of the bed members and leave an unobstructed space below the bed surface or fabric, substantially as set forth.

3. In a folding bed or sofa of the character herein described, the combination of a pair of bed-sections hinged together along the length of the bed, a bed surface or fabric common to both sections, transverse cleats securing said fabric to the end boards of said sections, an inclosing housing for said sections consisting of vertical back and counterpart end walls secured together, longitudinal rails forming the adjacent sides of said sections and arranged a distance below the flexible bed-surface, and counterpart diagonal braces arranged immediately to the rear of said rails and extending from intermediate portions of the bottom boards to the upper portions of the end boards of said sections, and adapted to have abutment against the transverse cleats which secure the flexible bed-surface in place, substantially as set forth.

4. In a folding bed or sofa of the character herein described, the combination of a pair of bed-sections hinged together along the length of the bed, a bed surface or fabric common to both members, spiral springs arranged within each member and adapted to support said bed-surface intermediate of its attachment to the said members, an inclosing housing for such bed members consisting of vertical back and counterpart end Walls secured together, longitudinal rails forming the adjacent sides of the bed-sections and arranged a distance away from the bed surface or fabric, and counterpart diagonal braces arranged immediately to the rear of said rails and extending from intermediate portions of the bottom boards to the upper portions of the end pieces of said members, substantially as set forth.

5. In a folding bed or sofa of the character herein described, the combination of a pair of bed-sections hinged together along the length of the bed, a bed surface or fabric common to both members, spiral springs arranged within each member and adapted to support said bed-surface intermediate of its attachment to the said members, an inclosing housing for such bed members consisting of ver 1 distance away from the bed surface or fabric,

tical back and counterpart end walls secured I upper portions of the end pieces of the bed together, longitudinal rails forming the adjamembers, substantially as set forth. :0 cent sides of the bed-sections and arranged a Signed by me at St. Louis, Missouri, this 21st day of May, 1900.

abutment members secured to the bottom CALVIN C.-TAYLOR. boards of the bed-sections immediately to the rear of said rails, and counterpart diagonal braces extending from said abutments to the Witnesses:

ROBERT BURNS, M. H. HOLMES. 

